Avery's POV
The murmurs followed me everywhere.
From the moment I stepped out of my home, the eyes of the Golden Ridge Pack trailed after me, filled with something I hadn't seen in years—concern.
For so long, I had been the outcast, the disappointment, the unwanted daughter of their Alpha. When I lost my wolf, they had turned their backs on me, whispering that I was broken, useless. And when I was accused of cheating on James with Charles, they hadn't even given me a chance to defend myself. Their judgment had been swift, their scorn absolute.
But now, as I walked through the village, their whispers carried a different weight.
"She's really going through with it…"
"What if this is a trap?"
"I heard Isabella might be involved. She could be walking straight into danger."
"She shouldn't go alone."